PIA’s ex-CEO fails to return to Pakistan

A month has passed since Hildenbrand’s expected return

ISLAMABAD: Former CEO of national flag carrier Bernd Hildenbrand – who went abroad under a special exemption as he was facing corruption charges – has not yet returned to Pakistan.

German national Hildenbrand who worked for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was facing serious allegations of mega corruption and was given special exemption - despite having his name on the Exit Control List (ECL) - to fly abroad for a month in the first week of May this year.

Hildenbrand was under investigation over corruption charges worth billions of rupees and was facing forced leave from his position. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is probing the corruption charges against him.

Through a memorandum, the Ministry of Interior had granted him a one-time permission to fly abroad for 30 days. His special exemption had ended in the first week of last month counting from his date of departure. However, it is learnt that he has not returned to Pakistan to face investigations.



The memorandum read: “It has been decided to allow a one-time permission to Bernd Eugen Hildenbrand, a Deutsch national and holder of Passport No C8W917M2F, to travel abroad for a period of 30 days from the date of departure.”

The memorandum also requested all concerned departments to take immediate action in the matter.

On March 16, Hildenbrand was barred from travelling abroad as his name was put on the ECL. On the same day, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said Hildenbrand was being investigated on charges of corruption as the national carrier had bought a plane from Sri Lankan Airlines at a cost more than the prevailing market rates.

“PIA had acquired a plane from Sri Lankan Airlines at $8,000 per hour, while another airline had acquired the same type of plane at $4,000 per hour,” the minister had said.

The German national was first barred from travelling in December 2016 and he was asked to stay in the country over selling a flight-worthy aircraft (A-310) of the airlines to a German museum at throwaway price.

It is also learnt that the German national gave assurances to relevant authorities that he would come back and face the corruption charges.

According to sources, diplomatic pressure allowed him to travel abroad. The current status of investigation against him and how it will proceed now is yet to be learnt.



It is pertinent to mention here that even Pakistani nationals like former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and some other persons - who had affiliation with political parties and were facing severe charges over here - never come back to Pakistan when their names were removed from the ECL through court orders.

Hildenbrand was appointed as PIA Chief Operating Officer. Later, he was given the charge of acting CEO. On April 22, Hildenbrand was relieved of his duties as the CEO.

Sources in the Ministry of Interior said that although he was granted permission to travel abroad for a period of one month, his name is still on the ECL. They said he was granted one-time permission, a relaxation which was provided to him under relevant rules and regulations.

The spokesman of PIA told this correspondent that the management of PIA was also holding an inquiry against him and a couple of months ago he was served a show-cause notice which was responded to by him. However, his reply was taken as unsatisfactory, he further stated, adding that then he was called for personal hearing but he didn’t appear.

He said the German CEO of PIA was later sacked.